This week on United States of Americana, we celebrate Ry Cooder; he turns 79 this Sunday. Cooder has had quite a career — the guy was almost a Rolling Stone once upon a time. We’ll check out a few of his tunes, plus we’ll have the usual dose of new Americana.

Program Playlist, hour 1

Program Playlist, hour 2

Program Playlist, hour 3

Americana Gig List 

2026

Lucero / Otis Gibbs - 3/15 - First Avenue (Note: This show has been postponed, new date tba, due to winter storm)

Clover County / A.G. Schiano- 3/17 - Turf Club (Note: This show was originally scheduled for Sunday, March 15, but was postponed to Tuesday, March 17, due to the winter storm)

The Band of Heathens - 3/19 - Fine Line

Cory Branan - 3/19 - Turf Club

Dale Watson - Mon 3/23 - Uptown VFW 

Vincent Neil Emerson - Mon 3/23 - Fine Line 

Bob Dylan - Tues 3/24 - Mayo Civic Ctr, Rochester

Elvin Bishop / Charlie Musselwhite - 3/25 - Parkway

Sonny Landreth & The Iguanas - Wed 3/25 - Dakota

Wednesday - Thurs 3/26 - First Avenue

John Craigie - 3/26 - The Cedar

Pert Near Sandstone’s Winter String Gathering - 3/26 & 3/28 - Turf Club

Cowboy Junkies - Sat 3/28 - Fitzgerald Theater

Wyatt Flores / Kashus Culpepper - 4/1 - Palace Theatre 

Chris Smither & Loudon Wainwright III - 4/8 - The Cedar

The Silos 40th Anniversary Tour - 4/8 - Icehouse 

An Evening with Jimmy Webb - 4/8 - Parkway Theatre 

Madison Cunningham - 4/11 - Fitzgerald Theatre

Cat Clyde / Boy Golden - 4/11 - Turf Club

The Nude Party - Sun 4/13 - Turf Club

James McMurtry w/BettySoo - Tues 4/15 - Fine Line

Them Coulee Boys - 4/17 - The Cedar

Courtney Marie Andrews - 4/17 - Turf Club

Waxahatchee & M.J. Lenderman Solo and Together w/Brennan Wedl - 4/29 - State Theatre

Reverend Horton Heat w/Black Joe Lewis and Piñata Protest - Wed 4/29 - First Avenue

Iron and Wine - 5/1 - Fitzgerald Theater

Daniel Romano's Outfit w/Uni Boys - Sun 5/10 - Fine Line

Christone Kingfish Ingram / Samantha Fish - Sat. 5/16 - Treasure Island Casino 

Joshua Ray Walker - Fri 5/29 - Turf Club

Clay Street Unit - 5/30 - Turf Club

Dwight Yoakam - Thurs 6/4 - Treasure Island Event Center, Welch, MN 

The Wallflowers - Sat 6/13 - First Ave

Blue Ox Music Fest. feat. Charley Crockett, Valerie June, Dom Flemons, Marcus King Band, I’m With Her, Kurt Vile and the Violators, Pert Near Sandstone, Sierra Hull etc  - 6/25-6/27 - Eau Claire, WI

MN Country Club Festival feat. Charley Crockett, the Red Clay Strays and Treaty Oak Revival, Trampled by Turtles, and The Beach Boy - 7/10 & 7/11 - Harriet Island Regional Park, St. Paul

John Mellencamp - 7/14 - Mystic Lake Amphitheatre 

The Black Crowes - 7/28 - Canterbury Park, Shakopee

Chris Stapleton - 7/29 & 7/30 - Canterbury Park, Shakopee

Music On A Stick feat. Sierra Ferrell - 8/30 - MN State Fair

Booker T. - 9/17 - Parkway Theater

Residencies

Roe Family Singers (early) - Mondays - 331 Bar

St. Dominic's Trio - Tuesdays - Driftwood, Minneapolis